String height

[bassist_lewis]

I've been playing consistently for about a year and I find my left hand tiring easy, particularly when I'm doing walking/jazz stuff, which is the majority of the gigs I do. I want to take the action down a bit and I have it booked in with the luthier next week so I wondered what was a "normal" height for predominantly pizz playing? Currently my action is 10mm on the E and 8mm on th G, measured at the end of th fingerboard.
Thanks guys.

Edited February 28, 2017 by bassist_lewis

[bassist_lewis]

The A is 12mm and the D is 11mm. At the end of the fingerboard

[tinyd]

From what I can gather, there's a lot of variation amongst bassists when it comes to string height and you also have to take into account the strings themselves. But given all that, your current height seems on the higher side of things when it comes to pizz playing. It's worth getting adjusters fitted IMO as this gives you a bit of flexibility. I think I have mine set to about 8mm for the E and 6mm for the G. It's also worth talking to the luthier about shaping the fingerboard as this could be the main cause of your tiredness - if you think about it, a couple of mm difference in height at the end of the fingerboard will translate to virtually nothing down in the lower positions.

One weird thing I've found is that if I go too low I end up getting more tiredness. I think the reason for this is that I tend to overcompensate for the lower volume and end up tensing up.

So in summary, as with all questions about double bass, the answer is "it depends", but it sounds like your height could come down.

[Beer of the Bass]

Having the A and D higher than the E doesn't seem right for a jazz setup - usually there would be a gradual increase in height from G to E. Other than this, 8-10mm is not outrageously high but many jazzers prefer it a little lower, especially if you're using Spirocores or similar high tension steel strings.
There might be other parts of the setup that make it feel like hard work, like the nut height and fingerboard scoop, which the luthier should be able to sort out.

[philparker]

My DB is - 8 mm, 7 mm, 6 mm, 6-5 mm, and works well for arco and pizz, but if I were to change strings to something like a Garbo, Gut or Slap I would have to raise the action.

[Marty Forrer]

You need bridge height adjusters installed. Well worth it. My string heights are G = 6mm, D = 7mm, A = 8mm, E = 8mm. There is another factor in the set up for the left hand, and that is the height of the strings at the nut. Too high here will hurt your left hand. Is your luthier a double bass luthier? If so he will set it up to play like butter. If not, ie: he's a general guitar luthier, he will not know how to set up a double bass properly. You need to make sure he's a double bass luthier. Your soundpost should be checked too.

[Marc S]

Yes, string height depends on the personal preference of the player, but also on the type of strings being used.
I've recently started playing more of a slap style on DB, and I find I can't do that if the strings are too low....

However, when playing more Pizz style - this is too high for me personally. I'm just glad I have an adjustable bridge on both my DB and my EUB. It means I can adjust either to suit what band / outfit and style I'm playing. Though obviously, not between songs!

Definitely pay the extra few quid and get an adjustable bridge!

EDIT: As the above post (Marty) says; make sure you use a DB luthier, and yes, get them to check position of your soundpost, and depth of nut slots. Incidentally, Danny Thompson said he deliberately had the nut slots not too deep - as he preferred the strings to be some way off the fingerboard, so he could develop his left hand grip strength....

Edited March 2, 2017 by Marc S

[The Jaywalker]

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Edited November 28, 2017 by The Jaywalker

[jrixn1]

I believe Eddie Gomez has quite a high action, not low.

[The Jaywalker]

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Edited November 28, 2017 by The Jaywalker